Ashkum Elementary School is part of Central Community Unit District #4. In the spring of 2002 the Board of Education voted to reorganize the school district into grade level centers. Ashkum Elementary School, now called Ashkum Early Literacy Center, was assigned to be the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten building. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students were all assigned to the Chebanse Elementary School. The fourth and fifth graders attend the Clifton Elementary School. Our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students now attend school at Nash Middle School, while the high school students remained at Central High School.

The main focus of the Ashkum Early Literacy Center will be in the area of early literacy in both reading and mathematics. The school concentrates on early identification and intervention for all students. We are aligning our skill statements to the Early Learning Standards and introduction of Early Elementary Standards. The administrator and a teacher from each level are attending workshops to help lead the school in this mission. Teachers with the help of a consultant are developing and writing skill statements in each learning area.