Just so you know, it is federal law that kids of "illegals" are allowed to go to public schools. That isn't unique to Arkansas. My wife teaches Kindergarten in Lenoir City, and of the 20 kids in her class, 10 are hispanic...less than half of those have parents who are legal citizens.
What Huckabee fought for (that was widely contested) was the right for children of "illegals" to be able to go to Arkansas state universities as "in-state" students. The reason being because the kids shouldn't have to be punished for their parents' crime of living here illegally.
If the kids grew up going to public schools in Arkansas, and have earned the right to go to college, why not make it more financially possible for them to do that? At least some money will be made by allowing the student to pay in-state tuition to go to the university. If they aren't given that opportunity, they may continue to live here, and just become another laborer working for under-the-table cash, where no taxes will be paid.
I do realize that the negative to this policy is that it could make the state a magnet for illegal immigrants.
But make no mistake about it, kids are allowed to go to public schools anywhere in the country. No proof of citizenship is checked by the school board.