The La Salle secondary school can trace its beginnings to the Sacred Heart primary school set up by Father Van Der Heyden in July 1903. From just a handful of students, the school's enrolment went up to 50 by June 1913 and 10 years later increased to 213.

Between 1941 and 1945, a wooden school building with eight classes was built on the site where the current site of the Sacred Heart primary school stands just adjacent to the Sacred Heart cathedral in Karamunsing.

Before the establishment of the secondary school in 1951, Father Bernard Davies, a Mill Hill Missionary started secondary classes at Karamunsing to prepare students for Senior Cambridge Examinations. In 1953, when the Catholic Mission obtained 7.653 acre of land in Tanjung Aru, the school was relocated to the current site. It was initially named Sacred Heart Secondary School.

In 1958, the La Salle Brothers came to Jesselton (present Kota Kinabalu and took over the management of Sacred Heart Primary School and Sacred Heart Secondary School. Brother Raphael Egan succeeded Father Arthur Crowther as the Principal. On 22nd May 1958, Sacred Heart Secondary School was renamed to La Salle Secondary School after the Founder of the La Sallian Brothers, St. John Baptist De La Salle whose dream for social change to touch the youthful heart was conceptualized.

From a single block with wooden plank walls and attap roof, La Salle has evolved into Kota Kinabalu's only two-campus school with the junior (Form 1 to form 3) and senior (Form 4 to Upper Six) blocks.

Brother Charles' retirement as the principal in 1986 marked the end of an era that began some 30 years earlier when the La Salle brothers took over the school's administration from the Catholic Mission.

La Salle School, Kota Kinabalu (Malay: Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan La Salle Kota Kinabalu) is a co-educational secondary school for boys and girls and one of the oldest schools in Kota Kinabalu.

La Salle Kota Kinabalu is famous for its high achievement in academic, sports and other activities for secondary school level in Kota Kinabalu.

This is one of the oldest school in Kota Kinabalu. It was established in 1953 by Father Bernard Davies a Mill Hill Missionary. Despite being a mission school, the students consist of all kind of races regardless religions.

La Salle Secondary School, Kota Kinabalu itself is divided into two pieces of land. The distance between the both are just a stone throw away. The Senior Block (form 4 to Form 6), remains at its current location. The Junior Block (Form 1 to Form 3) has been relocated to the new ground to accommodate the increase in students enrollment.

The single-session secondary school is located in Tanjung Aru. It is a few minutes walk from Pekan Tanjung Aru. Next to the Senior Block is SM Stella Maris.