Allen ISD is continuing its budget discussions for the 2026-27 school year as officials presented another update in March.

Latest update: Kyle Penn, assistant superintendent of business and technology, presented another look at the timeline for budget discussions during a March 2 workshop meeting. His presentation included a tentative schedule for budget planning and a review of Allen ISD’s current enrollment presented in February by School District Strategies.

So far, district officials have had a number of meetings regarding budget reduction strategies, Penn said. District departments have received their budgets and are currently working on those with their teams, he said. Those are expected to be returned to the district budget office by the end of March.

Looking ahead: Revenue, expense and staffing projections are expected to be presented to the board in April. Those projections will be finalized in April and refined in May, Penn said. The board is expected to adopt the budget in June, according to Penn’s presentation.

Zen Core Wellness celebrated its grand opening in early March, a company representative said.

The specifics: The practice focuses on holistic, functional medicine and offers services such as nutritional supplements, vitamin injection therapy, advanced lab testing, sound bath experiences, compression therapy and more, per its website.

• 109 W. Main St., Allen

On a 25-acre park in Waxahachie, hundreds of actors and artisans will bring to life a 16th-century English village over eight weekends in spring, complete with jousting, feasts and Scarborough Castle.

Scarborough Renaissance Festival, one of the oldest and largest renaissance festivals in the nation, celebrates its 45th anniversary this year, providing immersive entertainment from April 4-May 25.

The overview: Visitors will have the opportunity to watch jousts and other entertainment on the festival’s 20 stages, explore games and rides, shop handmade goods, and eat and drink at the variety of restaurants, pubs and taverns. Around 100 cast members bring the festival to life, interacting with guests as villagers, nobles, performers and other characters to create what Assistant Entertainment Director Janna Zepp calls “interpersonal magic.”

How we got here: Although the festival has evolved over the years—additions include sit-down restaurants, ticket scanners and modern restrooms—Zepp said that interpersonal magic between actors and guests remains a constant.

“The moment you walk in the gate, you just feel the joy and the celebration," Zepp said.

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