The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of the Trump administration, which asked the justices to stay a district court’s order enjoining the federal government from terminating education grants and mandating continued payment of obligations.

The ruling is expected to affect rural K-12 schools throughout Colorado.

The 5-4 vote halted the March 10 ruling from Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Myong fort he U.S. Department of Education to reinstate the funding. 

The Trump administration moved to terminate $600 million in grant funding for K-12 teacher preparation programs, including financing for NxtGEN. The latter received a five-year grant of $6.5 million, of which $2.8 million has not yet been spent.

The administration said the move is part of its campaign to root “divisive ideologies,” notably “diversity, equity and inclusion” and “critical race theory” from schools.  

The Next Generation of Teacher Preparation program, now in its 11th year, is run by the University of Colorado Denver in conjunction with four rural community colleges: Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Lamar Community College, Otero Community College in La Junta, and Trinidad State College. The program has produced 121 teachers in its 10-year history. It serves, through the community colleges, 58 school districts on the Eastern Plains and in southeastern Colorado, including many of the smallest districts in the state.

Celeste Delgado-Pelton, department chair for Liberal Arts and Academic Opportunity at Northeastern Junior College, said the program has been a complete game-changer for K-12 schools in northeastern Colorado. She said it’s challenging to recruit teachers from the Front Range to rural communities, and because these are small schools, competing on salaries is also a significant obstacle.

Colorado joins lawsuit over federal cuts to teacher prep program

Last month, Colorado joined a multi-state coalition in challenging the termination of grant funding.

Friday’s ruling lifts the restraining order, while the lawsuit continues in Massachusetts.

The majority concluded that Trump administration is “likely to succeed in showing the District Court lacked jurisdiction to order the payment of money” under the Administrative Procedure Act.

The justices were also swayed by the government’s argument that the respondents “would not suffer irreparable harm while the TRO is stayed. Respondents have represented in this litigation that they have the financial wherewithal to keep their programs running.”

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court’s liberal wing in the decision. In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote: “The respondent States have consistently represented that the loss of these grants will force them — indeed, has already forced them — to curtail teacher training programs.”

At issue is whether the lawsuit, based in part on the federal Administrative Procedure Act, should be heard in a regular district court or a federal court of claims. Kagan wrote that the general rule is that APA actions are heard in district courts, even when a remedial order “may result in the disbursement of funds.”