Catholic Secondary Education in the Latrobe Valley goes back to 1951 when the Presentation Sisters established their convent in Moe and began teaching there. In 1956 the Marist Fathers founded St. Paul’s College for boys on its present site in Grey Street. The Marist Brothers assumed responsibility for the administration of St. Paul’s College in 1962. The same year the Brigidine Sisters established Kildare College on the Kosciuszko Street site.

Catholic Secondary Education went through many changes over the period and Lavalla Catholic College is a part of a long development, which included changes to St Paul’s College, Kildare College, Lourdes College, Presentation Regional College and Catholic Regional College Traralgon. Catholic Education has shown remarkable adaptability and resilience in responding and adapting to the changing social, financial and educational factors in the Latrobe Valley. Lavalla Catholic College co-operates with its feeder Catholic Primary Schools and there is an active liaison that prepares the path of those students entering secondary classes.