Check out five recent updates from Allen City Council and Allen ISD, including street and alley rehabilitation, enrollment projections and speed limits.

1. Allen to invest $4.87M in street and alley rehabilitation in 2026

Allen City Council approved a $4.87 million contract with Jim Bowman Construction for its 2026 Street and Alley Rehabilitation project at a Feb. 24 meeting.

Included in the citywide project for this fiscal year is approximately 4,138 square yards of alley pavement repair and over 27,000 square yards of roadway pavement repair, according to city documents.

2. Allen ISD enrollment declines again in 2025

Enrollment could decline between 1% and 2.3% in the next six years, according to School District Strategies’ projections. The projections come as a new snapshot confirmed enrollment fell again in 2025. During a Feb. 23 board of trustees meeting, Demographic Research Director Brent Alexander said enrollment has declined by 1,440 students since 2020. That’s about a 6.7% net decline, according to Alexander’s presentation. Enrollment has fallen each year since 2022.

3. Allen offers free access to city recreation facilities through Leap Days program

Allen’s Parks and Recreation Department launched its Leap Days program Feb. 1, which waives membership fees at participating recreation centers on the first day of each month.

Participating facilities include:

Stephen G. Terrell Recreation CenterDon Rodenbaugh Aquatics CenterJoe Farmer Recreation CenterThe EdgeIn addition, Ford Pool will be available during Leap Days in the summer months, and the Allen Senior Recreation Center will be available for individuals above age 60 to visit, Communications Manager Kristi Soto said.

4. Increased speed limit approved for section of Allen’s McDermott Drive following traffic study

Allen City Council approved the change from 40 mph to 45 mph for the identified section of McDermott Drive at a Feb. 10 meeting.

The change comes after an engineering and traffic study indicating that 85% of drivers are already safely operating vehicles in the identified section of roadway at above 45 mph, city documents state. In addition, eastbound traffic driving toward the Watters Creek Village shopping center follows a downhill slope, which makes it difficult to maintain a speed of 40 mph, per city documents.

5. Allen ISD kicks off budget discussions for 2026-27 school year

Allen ISD officials have started budget planning for the 2026-27 school year. Kyle Penn, assistant superintendent of business and technology, reviewed an upcoming timeline for the budget during a Jan. 20 board of trustees meeting. Multiple workshops and discussions are scheduled between now and June 15 when board members are expected to adopt the budget. The timeline is tentative, according to Penn’s presentation.