ST. PAUL — Many rural Minnesota school districts were forced to cancel several days of classes because of the tough winter. Now administrators are worried those closures will come back to haunt them as they prepare for this spring’s round of high-stakes achievement tests

That’s particularly the case in western Minnesota, where districts can cover hundreds of square miles. Blizzards and ice storms can make it dangerous for buses to navigate country roads.

Montevideo Superintendent Luther Heller says his teachers are behind in preparing students for the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests in April and May.

The Morris district pushed some testing back by a week to give students and teachers time to catch up.

Some superintendents say it would help if they could start school before Labor Day.