The shift of traffic around Whitefish High School has been pushed back. The change, which is being made as construction work on the school begins, won’t go into effect until Monday, March 18.

There will be some activity in the south parking lot, but there won’t be a need for a full reroute of traffic, buses and parking until then, according to the school district’s consultant Bayard Dominick. The change had previously been set to start on March 11.

Beginning on March 18, the main parking lot south of the high school will be closed and will remain closed through the 2013-14 school year.

Students will be asked to park on East Fourth Street north of the school and by the baseball fields. Staff will be permitted to park along Pine Avenue.

Staff and visitor parking will be moved to along the east side of the school between the school and track. The current main entrance to the building will be closed, thus shifting the main entrance to the east side of the school. Visitors will be able enter the building at the doors, located between the shop and gymnasium, and walk the hallway directly to the main office.

School buses will travel south along Fir Avenue and proceed between the high school and Muldown Elementary then turn on to Seventh Street, where students will be dropped off.

The left turn lane on Pine Avenue will be eliminated to allow for space for buses as they make a right turn off Seventh Street on to Pine. However, a left turn will still be allowed from Pine to Seventh.

Muldown Elementary parents will continue to be able drop-off and pick-up students in the main parking lot in front of the elementary school and have access to an eastern portion of the current high school parking lot. Cars accessing the current high school lot section will have to enter from the north at East Fourth Street and drive south to enter the lot. From the high school lot south to Seventh Street traffic will be one way, permitting traffic only to travel south.