About Us

Our Vision

The vision of William McKinley is to be a neighborhood school where students learn to think critically, challenge systems, and advocate for the rights of all people including those who look different than themselves.

 

Our Mission

With the dedication of our selfless staff, students will have access to a quality education that values self-love, mistakes as opportunities for growth, and a curiosity that leads to continuous learning.

 

Leadership Team

Mrs. Marilyn Carrion-Mejia, Principal
Ms. Maria Lajara, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Michelle Eckert, School-Based Teacher Leader
Mrs. April Marinell, EL Point Person
Ms. Susan Comitalo, Dean of Students
Ms. Emma Case, School Counselor

History

McKinley Elementary was named for U.S. President William McKinley (1843–1901). McKinley is a one story, PreK through 8th grade school with approximately 414 students. We are located on the corner of Orkney and Diamond Streets in North Philadelphia in the West Kensington neighborhood. Our school was rebuilt in 1969.

 

U.S. President William McKinley – Library of Congress

William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was born in Niles, Ohio on January 29, 1843. He enlisted as a private during the Civil War and distinguished himself in action earning the rank of major in 1865. He served in Congress from 1876 to 1890 and became a strong supporter of protective tariffs. McKinley was elected governor of Ohio in 1891, serving a second term in 1893. By this time, McKinley was considered an important national leader. In 1896, the Republican national convention nominated him for president, on a platform stressing protective tariffs and the maintenance of a monetary standard based on gold.

From the beginning of his administration, President McKinley was concerned about the Cuban insurrection. On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine was sunk on an official visit to Havana. President McKinley attempted to prevent war and endeavored to persuade the Spanish government to adopt a conciliatory policy with the Cuban insurrectionists. The Spanish government yielded too late to restrain the popular demand in the United States for intervention. On April 20, Congress adopted a resolution declaring war against Spain. A peace protocol ended hostilities on August 12, 1898. Under the peace treaty signed at Paris on December 10, 1898, Spain relinquished title to Cuba, and ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States.

Following the acquisition of these possessions, McKinley questioned whether the Constitution applied to them as it did to the continental United States. He accepted the view of Congress that since they lay outside the free trade area of the United States and were not incorporated territories, the provisions of the Constitution did not apply to them.

In 1900, McKinley was re-elected President. During his second term, he was gratified by the Supreme Court’s decisions confirming the administration’s limited application of the Constitution to these insular possessions, such as in Balzac v. Porto Rico. McKinley did not complete his second term because he was shot by an anarchist on September 6, 1901. He died shortly thereafter, on September 14, 1901, from complications related to the gunshot wound.