Our church just decided to remove all kneelers because they were in a state of disrepair and too expensive to fix, evidently.
It's funny (too me) that you mention that. My parish, a poor innercity parish where the kneeler pads are so old and hard they are now asking us to all pony up $100 for new pads. Since we are a parish, the only one in the diocese, with the Tridentine Mass, I'll kick in my part. Can't imagine what full blown kneelers, not pads, would cost.