Carlisle DEI Commission Unanimously Approves Revised Quadrennial Community Survey

CARLISLE — March 26, 2026 — Carlisle DEI Commission votes unanimously to approve its revised quadrennial community survey, targeting an April 3 launch. The commission reviewed the roughly 20-minute survey question by question at its March 26 meeting, accepting real-time edits that added Islamophobia to the incident list, revised discrimination definitions grounded in federal civil rights law, and corrected a structural flaw from the prior survey that had prevented respondents from selecting "none of the above" on a list of proposed DEI initiatives. Printed outreach materials including posters, postcards, and sandwich boards are planned for distribution by April 8, with a second push timed to town meeting and a third effort in mid-to-late May. Commission member Agnes reported that the town's Hate and Bias Incident Reporting Working Group is targeting a final product by the second week of May and is currently studying anonymous-versus-confidential complaint models used in Boston, Somerville, Belmont, Lexington, and Acton. Commission member Joe reported that the Black Heritage Trail advisory team will seek Select Board preliminary approval on April 13, with temporary sample signage going up on Patriots Day, April 20.