When I was in grade school in rural Missouri, kids were allowed to bring their rifles to school on the school bus!
They had a marksmanship class in the summer that was an optional gym class for those of High-School age.
The boys were required to keep the ammo in its box and in their shirt pocket...never in the rifle... the girls kept the little boxes of 22cal bullets in their purses.
No one ever got hurt, no one ever complained, no one was frightened.
Every boy carried a pocket knife.
Things sure are different nowadays.
Same here, in rural Oklahoma.
My buddy used to bring his rifle or shotgun from home on the bus, then we'd walk the RR tracks back out to his place, looking for rabbits or quail.
Kept the weapons and the ammo in our lockers. And we weren't the only ones...