This story is part of a statewide partnership of 27 nonpartisan newsrooms and universities working to help Florida voters make informed decisions in the 2026 school board elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership.
SUWANNEE, Fla. – In the Suwannee School District, Malcolm Hines, assistant superintendent of administration, is running against Suwannee High School athletic coach Clifford Bean for the District 3 School Board seat.
Incumbent Tim Alcorn is not seeking reelection. His term with the school board will end in November.
In this nonpartisan race, voters will decide between Hines and Bean in the Aug. 18 primary.
Neither candidate has previously sought elected office. Hines, however, was previously appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to North Florida College’s Board of Trustees in August 2025.
The district is home to around 6,000 students across 13 schools, including Suwannee Virtual/Home Education, the district’s virtual and home education program. Suwannee County has a population of 48,149, and 85.2% of residents age 25 or older have earned a high school diploma or higher, according to 2020-24 Census Data.
The Suwannee County School District reported a 90.0% graduation rate for the 2024-25 high school cohort, a 1.4 percentage point decline from the year prior and a 4 percentage point decline from the district’s peak graduation rate in 2020-21.
Hines, 61, graduated from Suwannee High School before serving 26 years in the United States Military. He has worked in the Suwannee County School District for 17 years, serving in roles such as a teacher, dean of students and principal at Suwannee High School.
Hines said he is running for the seat after years of leadership in the county, a role he believes can bring a knowledgeable perspective to the board.
“I feel like I’m a great candidate to be able to continue the path that we’re on and help support that,” he said.
Bean, 50, said he is running for the seat after considering the position for a decade. He volunteers as a football coach for Suwannee High School. Bean also has two sons, one who recently graduated from Suwannee High School and another who will attend the school later this year.
If elected, Bean said he hopes to bring greater transparency to the board. He said as someone without prior experience in office, he would bring a “new set of eyes” to the school board.
“I just want to be a strong voice for the community in the district,” he said.
To address potential decline in enrollment and the expansion of school choice, Bean said he wants to improve schools and update facilities as families increasingly choose private, charter and home-schooling over public education.
Bean said renovating football stadiums and other facilities in the district could help attract students and parents.
According to Suwannee School District’s Five Year District Facilities Work Program, the county has over $9 million available to invest in new construction and remodeling projects across the district. Additionally, the district has reported no plans to remodel or build new facilities in its 20-year infrastructure plan.
Hines disputed the idea that the district is experiencing enrollment challenges. He said that despite the expansion of school choice, he believes families will eventually return to public schools across the state.
On library books, both candidates said materials should go through the district’s review process before being removed from school shelves.
According to the Suwannee County School District’s reports, the district reported no library materials removed in response to parental concerns during the 2023-24 or 2024-25 school years.
Bean said the decision to remove books should include public input and a transparent review process. He said the district should clearly explain why and when a book is removed.
Hines, however, said the district should follow Florida law and existing school board policy when reviewing and removing library materials.
As of July 19, Bean has raised $3,658.03 for his campaign. He has spent $3,193.11 in campaign-related expenditures. Comparatively, Hines has raised $7,810 for his campaign and reported $6,861.55 in expenditures, according to campaign finance data.
Both candidate’s contributions have come from donors within the county. Additionally, both candidates have less than $1,000 on-hand for their campaigns heading into the primary election.
Voters can check their registration and voter status through the Suwannee County Supervisor of Elections website. Suwannee County’s school board elections will be held on Aug. 18, with early voting through Aug. 8-15.
Olivia Lofaso is a journalism student at the University of Florida, she can be reached at olivia.lofaso@ufl.edu
