Rather than add days to the end of the school year, Seattle Public Schools is asking the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for a waiver for two days when classes were canceled during a snow and ice storm this month.

Gov. Chris Gregoire declared Washington in a state of emergency for those days, prompting Seattle schools to seek a waiver to not make up the Jan. 19 or Jan. 20 snow days.

Seattle schools said it would cost the district roughly $500,000 to make up the two days in June.

Seattle schools made up one of the three snow days on Friday.   

The district said making up the time during mid-winter break is not an option because families and staff have arranged their schedules around the school calendar, which was approved by the School Board in May. That calendar, which is available at bit.ly/DistrictCalendar, listed Jan. 27 as a weather makeup day, and up to three additional days are to be made up at the end of the school year.