Former Riverside-Brookfield High School assistant principal and science department chairman Troy Gobble was named principal of Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire on Monday night.

Gobble, who was a finalist for the principal position at RBHS two years ago, left in 2010 to go to Stevenson as an assistant principal after he was passed over for the principal’s position.

In the 2009-10 school year, Gobble served as RBHS’ interim assistant principal for curriculum and instruction when Tim Scanlon served one year as principal following the resignation of Superintendent/Principal Jack Baldermann.

Gobble was a very popular and highly respected physics teacher before moving into administration. In 2006, Gobble received the Outstanding Illinois High School Physics Teacher award from the Illinois section of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

He reportedly had the support of three members of the school board when he was a finalist for the RBHS principal position, but couldn’t get the fourth vote. Gobble’s close association to Baldermann may have hurt his chances for the RBHS job as the majority of the school board seemed to want to hire an outsider.

In the end, the board hired Pamela Bylsma, who was an assistant principal at Hinsdale Central High School, as the RBHS’ new principal.

Some school members tried to create another administrative position for Gobble after Bylsma was chosen, but were not successful in that attempt.

“It’s sad that Stevenson High School, which is one of the top schools in the state and the country, could see the value of Troy Gobble, but somehow we couldn’t,” said former District 208 school board President Larry Herbst. “It’s a sad statement when he was willing to stay.”

Current school board member Dan Moon wished Gobble well, but said that he had no regrets about passing over Gobble.

“We judged him fairly, and the current principal won over [him],” Moon said. “I wish him well. I know he’s a very ambitious fellow, and I’m glad to see that he succeeded in his career. We are very pleased with our choice of principal and have no regrets. There were three very qualified people [for the RBHS principal job]. You just have to keep that in mind.”