LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

Kentucky’s largest school district is losing a $9.7 million federal grant supporting its magnet programs.

The reason: The Trump administration’s Department of Education argues the district’s policies are violating the Civil Rights Act.

That’s according to letters obtained by WLKY between Jefferson County Public Schools and the Office of Civil Rights.

The Magnet Schools Assistance Program grant was awarded to JCPS in June 2024 to expand magnet programs at Western High School and Coleridge-Taylor Elementary. It allowed JCPS to transition Western to a STEM school and expand Coleridge-Taylor to a full-school Montessori magnet.

OCR notified the district in July that it had issues with its Magnet Schools of America grant application. It took particular issue with the dist

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