Convenience Big Store: Katy ISD maps show plans to rezone overcrowded schools

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Are you willing to go into debt to purchase the new iPhone?

In my numerous trips around the sun, I've learned that there are two types of people: those that absolutely must have the newest and greatest phones and those who really don't care.

I fall into the latter category. I used my Samsung Galaxy 7 until it gave out completely. Sure, the camera produced photos with Monet-like sharpness and the ear speaker went out so I could only talk on speaker phone, but I don't like spending money on technology. When my Galaxy finally crashed beyond hope, I caved and got an iPhone 12, which I plan to use until sometime in the 2030s.

But there are a great deal of people who fall so far into the former category that they're willing to go into debt over it, my colleague Octavia Johnson
reports.

Apple's new iPhone 15 — along with its more than $1,000 price tag — is on the way, and nearly two out of five Americans say they're willing to go into debt to purchase the new phone, Octavia writes.

So why is that?

Per Octavia's story, "It is all about costs and benefits," said Jared Watson, assistant professor of marketing at New York University. "These people think that the benefits will outweigh the costs. Importantly, there are both psychosocial (emotional) benefits and functional benefits that come with phones. Feelings of belonging, having the latest 'thing,' and self-signaling that you deserve the new product all might outweigh the psychological consequences of carrying debt."

I'd love to hear your thoughts the issue. Do you think Apple's newest gadget is worth going into debt? Do you have mixed feelings on the idea? Or are you a tech dinosaur like me?

Claire Goodman, Katy reporter

claire.goodman@houstonchronicle.com

Education

Katy Independent School District police investigated a threatening text sent to some students at Katy High School on Wednesday, April 14, and have said the threat was unfounded. Classes are going on as planned today.

Photo by: Courtesy Google Maps

Katy ISD is considering new high school and junior high boundaries.

Katy ISD has two new schools opening next year, and the board of trustees must now decide how to rezone students for the 2024-25 school year.

Need to Know

The primary focus of the site is the burial ground, which aims to provide a dignified final resting place for the 95 individuals.

Photo by: Fort Bend ISD

Fort Bend ISD unveils plans for a Sugar Land 95 cemetery and pavilion.

Fort Bend ISD has unveiled the next phase of the Sugar Land 95 Memorial, which includes an outdoor learning area and a memorial cemetery.

Openings and Closings

Houston Methodist West Hospital's new Medical Office Building III is officially open.

The new medical office building is 150,000-square-feet, six-stories and part of a $65 million hospital expansion project. The building will house orthopedics and sports medicine on the top two floors and physical therapy on the ground floor. A sports field for physical therapy is also attached to the building.

Shout out

Congratulations to the eight Katy ISD high schools, Cinco Ranch, Katy, Mayde Creek, Morton Ranch, Paetow, Seven Lakes, Taylor and Tompkins that were ranked among the best high schools in the United States, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

One last thing ...

Today I learned that luxury ice is a thing, thanks to my co-reporter Sonia Garcia.

Apparently luxury cocktails are on the rise, and bars are looking for ways to elevate their concoctions with fancier interpretations of frozen water.

What's luxury ice, you ask?

Big Ice HTX, which specializes in making and selling chilled dihydrogen monoxide, "can imprint a restaurant's logo on the ice, freeze anything from 24 karat gold to roses, herbs or fruit into the ice and make custom shapes," Sonia writes. "However, the best-selling variety is its clear 2-inch ice cubes."