job descriptions and positions; the authority to manage staff leave decisions and staff relief costs; the authority to determine a school's professional development priority and program; not being obliged to employ from the central recruitment pool, including redeployed staff; the authority to manage a one-line budget; the authority to award contracts and dispose of assets with values up to $150,000; the authority to manage school utilities and facilities (including electricity, gas, water and waste) and to retain savings; authority to determine curriculum to suit student needs. Independent Public Schools are also awarded a recurring payment of between $25,000 - $50,000 for administrative support, and $20,000-$40,000 one-off payments for transition costs. Independent Public Schools and their principals must: create and convene a School Board to oversee the principal's management of the school; create a business plan to guide the school for three years; produce an annual school report and annual self-assessment; be performance managed directly by the Department of Education Director-General. Principals are held accountable through a Delivery and Performance Agreement signed by the Principal, Chair of the School Board and Director-General. The Delivery and Performance Agreement identifies the resources and support the school will receive, programs the school will deliver, student achievement and how it will be monitored, and performance and accountability of the school; be subject to financial audits; determine and report on the satisfaction levels of students, staff and parents; respect the existing industrial platform of the Department of Education which determines staff salaries, wages and conditions; comply with relevant legislation, including School Education Act 1999, School Education Regulations 2000, and Public Sector Management Act 1994, and other Government and Department policies and external agreements; comply with the mandated curriculum, as set out by the School Curriculum and Authority Act 1997. An Independent Public School, its principal and board cannot: deny the enrolment of students who are eligible to attend their local school (a student who resides in the local area), although the school can enroll students from outside of the local area; charge an enrolment fee for students to attend (outside of fees applicable to all public schools); exclude students without following the requirements of the School Education Act 1999; appoint or dismiss the principal. Research and criticism The Independent Public Schools initiative has been justified on the grounds that system decentralisation and principal autonomy improves the educational outcomes of students. A review of the Western Australian