Northern Lehigh School District plans to seek out a state grant to curtail an increase in behavioral problems at its high school.

Superintendent Michael Michaels announced on Monday that he has asked the school board to consider applying for the Safe School Initiative Grant.Michaels said that if the district were to receive the grant, it could be used to hire a school resource officer, or for safety equipment.Jeff Bachman, technology coordinator, said the district has concerns from a safety perspective over incidents it has observed."I think we're getting a lot of increased incidents at the high school," Bachman said. "A lot of school districts in our area are already using a school resource officer."Director Natalie Green, who teaches at the Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, said that facility has had a school resource officer in place for some time, and added it's worked out well for them.Michaels said this isn't the same school district it was five or 10 years ago, as the world continues to change.He then commended Bachman for his hard work and good ideas.Bachman said the potential grant would provide up to $60,000 for a school resource officer, or $25,000 toward programs that address school safety and violence.In June, the district received a $9,000 grant from the Center for Safe Schools, which bought the district 22 new cameras for the high school.