Former students and school leaders are reacting to the news that the United States Department of Education rescinded a long-standing document that offered guidance to schools on teaching English learners.

Grace Battaglia is a Latino U College Access employee who relied on school programs to learn English when she moved from Ecuador as a child.

"Not only are you learning English, but you're also learning how to learn in another language," Battaglia says.

With this document's guidance now rescinded, News 12 asked school leaders, like Yonkers Public Schools' Superintendent Anibal Soler, Jr., how it could impact their accommodations.

"Yeah, so I think it was unfortunate that it was done, but it doesn't really change our focus here. We have a clear focus on the diversity and strength of our diversity of our student body," Soler, Jr. says.

The U.S. Education Department didn't respond to our inquiries.

However, Soler, Jr. says his district follows state expectations for English language learning.

"We have equipped every school principal with a translation device and so this would allow them to, maybe, interact with a family member who may not speak English," Soler, Jr. says.

Support that Latino U College Access Founder Shirley Acevedo Buontempo says could open more pathways for English learners.

"Being bilingual is an incredible asset in life. So, the opportunity to encourage students to maintain that bilingual skill really enables them to have a talent that can go with them throughout their entire lives," Acevedo Buontempo says.

Latino U College Access Program Director Pamela Jimenez says the nonprofit also hosts bilingual bootcamps for students who want to learn more about the form they need to fill out to get financial aid.

"We want to be inclusive, we want to provide our community with the opportunity to be able to apply and give access to college and the FAFSA financial aid [form] is the first step," Jimenez says.

Jimenez says some of the boot camps are coming up soon.

For more information about them, please click HERE.