Rishika Dugyala was a 2018 reporting fellow at The Texas Tribune, where she covered politics and policy through breaking news and enterprise stories. She graduated from Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and political science. Before the Tribune, Rishika covered housing and homelessness for the San Francisco Public Press, criminal justice for the Medill Justice Project and the 2016 election for the Medill News Service. She also worked for The Daily Northwestern.
School officials are accessing other grants, pulling from local taxpayer dollars and diverting funding from different parts of their budgets to meet state pre-K requirements. They’re making things work for now, but they anticipate problems. Full Story
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Harrold Independent School District was the first of many Texas districts — mostly in rural or isolated areas — to arm educators and other employees to prevent a potential school shooting. "I don't want to be anybody's victim," the school's superintendent says. Full Story
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Supporters of strengthening gun control laws are planning March for Our Lives rallies Saturday in several Texas cities in hopes of encouraging Congress to take decisive action on the issue. Full Story
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In Foard County, near the Texas-Oklahoma border, only one person even showed up to the polls. Zavala County, about 100 miles north of Laredo, didn't even hold a primary. Full Story
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From the primary for Bastrop County Republican Party chair to the Republican primary for Montgomery County judge, some incumbents fell to their challengers after a difficult campaign season. Full Story
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The bill, which Granger hopes to submit by the end of next week, would fully fund the installation of metal detectors for interested schools. Granger said her proposal is only part of the solution — "everything is on the table." Full Story
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One of seven Democratic candidates vying to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. John Culberson, Laura Moser says that opposition from inside her party has helped her raise more than $60,000 in two days. Full Story
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Hundreds of Texas students have engaged in walkouts following a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead. Students said this response is largely due to the example Parkland survivors have been setting. Full Story
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House District 47 was drawn to be a conservative stronghold in the liberal Austin area. But Texas political experts say rising frustration with President Donald Trump in a district he won by fewer than 200 votes, could change things. Full Story
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On Wednesday, Abbott outlined steps the state's education leaders should take to prevent tragedies like the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead. Full Story
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