People
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

  • The Fine Art of Handling Conflict for Business Officers This item is protected

    December 5, 2025
    This webinar will equip attendees with practical strategies to navigate disputes with clarity and confidence, and offers actionable insights on handling complaints and resolving conflict in ways that foster collaboration and strengthen relationships.
  • Tuition, Trends, Trouble: What College Closures Signal for Independent Schools This item is protected

    November 21, 2025
    Explore financial sustainability for independent schools by analyzing college closures. Learn strategies to navigate risks and build resilience based on what may be gleaned from higher ed’s warning signs.
  • Small School, Big Solutions: Navigating Mission, Money and Innovation This item is protected

    November 7, 2025
    The financial reality of a school can deeply inform its mission. Discover how a small school's inherent need for innovation sparks powerful, scalable solutions for schools of all sizes to be nimble when resources are limited.
  • Durable Campus Planning: Aligning Vision with Strategic Purpose This item is protected

    October 24, 2025
    Learn how The Governor’s Academy aligned educational priorities with campus development in a new campus planning process that engaged the school community. The resulting plan now guides the adaptive reuse of facilities and enhanced academic programs.
  • Cyber Breach Breakdown: Risk Mitigation Tactics for Independent K-12 Schools This item is protected

    September 26, 2025
    82% of K-12 schools have experienced a cyber incident. This webinar equips business and technology leaders with practical tactics for cyber threat detection, response, and prevention, safeguarding their schools' financial and reputational integrity.

Net Assets Articles