In 2011, Washington was one of only eight states that did not have a charter school law in state policy heading into the Race to the Top (RTTT) competition. The RTTT competition incentivized local education agencies not only to allow charter schools, but also to increase or eliminate the cap on the number of charter schools that a state allowed to be authorized (Saultz, 2015). As a result, many within Washington were concerned that the state would not be able to garner additional funds from the federal government. There was much debate within the state on whether or not to apply to RTTT. In the end, Washington was one of only four states that did not apply in round one of the competition, but did submit an application in round two (Saultz, 2015). This paper provides an historical overview of charter school policy in Washington State and explores the role of the federal government in shaping current charter policy.