Sandi Pierce

Sandi Pierce

Assistant Head of School

Cate School

Carpinteria, CA

Since 1991, Pierce has served as the chief business officer at Cate Cate School, a boarding and day school for 310 students in grades 9-12 in Carpinteria, California. Pierce served on the NBOA Board of Directors from 2012-2018 and chaired the finance and audit committee 2016-2018. A colleague valued by other business officers nationwide, she served on NBOA’s Business Officer Institute faculty three times and authored the chapter on budgeting and financial reporting in NBOA’s book on business office essentials, “The Business of Independent Schools: A Leader’s Guide.”  Most recently she served on NBOA’s Boarding School Working Group to help NBOA provide optimal support to business leaders at schools with a boarding component. She has also contributed to Net Assets articles and presented at the NBOA NBOA Annual Meeting Meeting and for other independent school organizations.

Online Courses

Past Webinars

  • Enrollment Forecasting as a Strategic Financial Tool This item is protected

    May 8, 2026
    This webinar presents a strategic approach to enrollment forecasting that blends the enrollment team’s relational insights with financial analysis and data modeling. Learn how to strengthen projections using internal data alongside external signals.
  • There's More Room for Change Than You Think This item is protected

    April 24, 2026
    To stay competitive in today’s educational landscape, independent schools should modernize spaces by aligning with evolving pedagogical trends and technology advancements. Learn how existing spaces can be transformed to better serve a campus community.
  • Effortless Efficiency: Payroll to Performance This item is protected

    April 13, 2026
    Efficiency is paramount through the entire Human Resources function. In this webinar, HR leaders and business officers will explore how to streamline workforce management from payroll processing to performance evaluation.
  • Mission (and Margin) Possible: Leveraging Campus Assets This item is protected

    March 30, 2026
    From summer programs and rentals to strategic partnerships, schools can unlock new income streams. This webinar explores practical strategies to maximize underutilized assets, assess operational readiness, and design sustainable initiatives.
  • Blending Respect and Efficiency in the Business Office This item is protected

    February 20, 2026
    Join members of NBOA’s volunteer Human Resources Council for a practical discussion on strategies to safeguard your working hours without compromising collegial relationships —all while saving time.

Net Assets Articles