Thanks so much for your comment! My wife allowed her class last year to bring yoga balls to sit on, which did serve the same purpose, but they were often distractions and hard to control when they'd roll around the classroom.

Using alternative seating helps children with attention deficit disorders as well. It allows them to move around and get their wiggles out, which helps them focus! I suppose you're right that they aren't strictly necessary, but in my wife's experience, they definitely help. One of the other third grade teachers at her school has a set of these stools, and they help her classroom environment tremendously.

Thank you so much for your support and your comment. I'm excited to see how much we can make to go toward these projects.