As public schools take on increasingly more to support their students, funding shortfalls and ideological attacks from Republicans at both the state and federal levels risk jeopardizing their efforts. It’s funded primarily through grants from First Things First, the only public funding source in Arizona exclusively geared towards early childhood. And last week, the U.S. Department of Education rescinded guidance explaining how schools must accommodate English language learners to comply with civil rights laws. Cartier said she credits the dual language program for the school’s high state math assessment scores. And the federal crackdown on immigrants across the country is also being felt in Arizona’s public schools.