ST. PAUL  — Minnesota schools have lost so many days of classes to snow and cold this winter that at least two districts plan to carve time out of students’ spring breaks to help them prepare for upcoming exams or catch up on lessons.

Minneapolis expects 2,800 students from kindergarten to eighth-grade to attend its first Spring Break Academy. In Stillwater, some schools want students to use part of their vacation to take a practice version of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests. Other districts have made up lost time by holding classes on Presidents Day, while some that operate on four-day weeks added fifth days.

It’s not clear how much cutting into vacations will help. Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius said she doesn’t fault schools for finding extra time to prepare students for their tests, but she’s not convinced the extra work will do much to improve their scores.

Minneapolis and Stillwater school officials think it will pay off, though.

Extra time is critical for students who missed out on five days of school because of the weather, said Michael Goar, the Minneapolis district’s chief executive. The weeklong academy will help struggling students brush up on reading and math and practice test-taking.

“We want kids to kids to experience fun stuff as well,” Goar said. “It’s not just academic but also activities that will enable them to really grow as an individual.”

Students who attend all five days will receive $20 gift cards. Teachers will get $2,000 stipends.

Stillwater officials say the six days of classes they lost has meant less time to prepare students for their MCA tests, which are given in March, April and May. The state uses them to determine which schools are struggling, and the scores affect how teachers are judged the state’s new evaluation system.

Some Oak-Land Junior High students groaned at being asked to go online over vacation to take a practice MCA test. But 13-year old Peyton Classon said she’s OK with it.

“Everybody needs to relax,” Classon said. “But at the same time you have to keep up with your education and you need to make sure you don’t forget everything.”