Cal Poly's struggle with study spaces

Author

Carly Heltzel
March 17, 2026

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and I’m weighing the idea of driving down to Santa Maria for a free St. Patrick’s Day-themed Krispy Kreme doughnut (wearing green of course). Onto the five Cal Poly, SLO and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

As Cal Poly’s enrollment grows, its available study spaces don’t. When Kennedy Library was first constructed 45 years ago, Cal Poly’s population was half the population the university plans to enroll by 2030. After a two year hiatus to renovate the library, only 300 study spaces were added, totaling 2,700 spaces for a school of over 20,000. Students say they feel the squeeze walking in circles trying to find a table.

2.

SLO County is projecting a $1 million budget deficit for the next fiscal year, but with state and federal funding in flux, that number could shift significantly. At this point, the full spectrum of possibilities ranges from going $11 million over budget to having a surplus of more than $13 million. The county is taking “a more disciplined approach” to the budget this year, it said, and forcing individual agencies to balance their own budgets before passing costs up the ladder. 

3.

Oil platforms off the Santa Barbara coast are drilling for the first time since a massive spill in 2015 after the Trump administration issued an emergency order citing the Iran oil crisis. Several court orders previously stopped production. Environmentalists are concerned about corroded pipelines bursting and the short turnaround from the order to the drilling, alluding to the possibility of ties between Trump and the oil company. Gov. Gavin Newsom called the order “desperate, reckless, and illegal.”

4.

California’s only online community college had a rough start in 2019. Out of its first class of 900 students, only 12 finished their studies in a year. Now, it may be the state’s fastest growing community college with 6,000 students and an on-time completion rate mirroring the other 115 community colleges in the state. It uses a different model too: students pass their courses once they’ve demonstrated they know the material, rather than based on a set schedule for learning.

5.

Solvang is known for its distinct Danish architecture, quaint bakeries and plentiful windmills. But a lesser known attraction is a house Dolly Parton owned secretly for a decade. After confirming her prior ownership through records, the current owner put up a sign the reads “Dolly” with her signature butterfly next to it. He also said he found a wig stand of hers, an awning and an outdoor table that all belonged to her in the basement. He said he put up the sign “Because I love her.”