I had the same experience-- in 1985! The district superintendent himself would come over to my buddy's truck as we pulled in, and asked us how we did hunting that morning before school! And the supt stood there while our rifles or shotguns were in my buddy gun rack in his truck!
I’m an 83 graduate. The rules for us were that any student who brought a gun to school had to leave it in their car if they drove. Guns couldn’t be carried on the bus so a parent had to bring you and the gun had to be left in the principal’s office. The place looked like an armory some days.
Not one shooting ever happened.