In its most important vote this year, the Cambridge School Committee brokered a deal on parental choice at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS) in a marathon eight-hour meeting Tuesday night, avoiding the threatened resignation of the school's principal and partially patching up a deep divide within the committee.

After two hours of highly visible public maneuvering, members hammered out a last-ditch compromise, extending a system that randomizes the placement of new high school students for two more years. The measure--passed by a five to two vote at 2:15 a.m. yesterday morning--leaves the committee's options open for whether or not to reinstate choice in the future.

Wrangling over the language of the final measure came after six hours of public testimony from parents, students, teachers and community members. About 300 people packed the committee meeting room at CRLS, and nearly 100 people signed up to speak.

The vast majority came to support Superintendent of Schools Bobbie J. D'Alessandro and CRLS Principal Paula M. Evans, both of whom favor randomization and had felt seriously undermined by the committee's four to three decision on Jan. 23 which effectively reestablished parental choice at the school next year.

Though members urged compromise last night, most seemed resigned to a repeat of the Jan. 23 vote.

"The consequences of not coming together on this are going to be disastrous," Grassi said. "We're at an impasse in the school district."

But Mayor Anthony D. Galluccio--whose first major vote as chair of the School Committee last spring was to pass the CRLS redesign--said he was intent on reaching an accord last night.

And eventually he got it--but only after countless amendments were proposed and board members exchanged some sharp words.