The study aims at formulating policy measures for assisting the school dropouts in Gwangju metropolitan city. For the above-mentioned purpose||| this study conducted a survey of 296 school dropouts in Gwangju city to know about their current status||| their reasons for dropping out of schools||| their wants and needs as well as the assistance measures they need. Additionally||| the study asked the staff members of alternative schools to know about the difficulties in running schools and the policy measures they ask for from the city government. Based on the survey of 296 school dropouts and expert opinion survey of 17 staff members of alternative schools this study suggested the following policy measures for assisting the school dropouts in Gwangju. First||| it is urgent to establish the alternative education assistance center for the school dropouts. Second||| the city government should provide financial and personnel assistance to these alternative schools and there is a need for the networking among alternative schools. Third||| each district in Gwangju should designate the school dropouts as special care adolescents and regularly care about them. Fourth||| the concerned regular schools should make much efforts to persuade the school dropouts to attend alternative schools and more importantly there is a need to allow the deliberation period for potential candidates for dropouts before they decide to drop out of the schools. Lastly||| we should consider establishing the public alternative middle and high school as a part of the mid and long-term plan for assisting school dropouts in Gwangju.