At the state Capitol, no one seriously disputes the value of early childhood education.

The benefits of a good preschool on a child's academic performance have been amply demonstrated by scholars, researchers and educators.

So it's encouraging that a key step toward advancing those benefits for Hawai'i's keiki survived the governor's veto pen on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 2878 establishes an Early Learning Council, a key building block for a statewide early education program called Keiki First Steps.

Her veto notwithstanding, Gov. Linda Lingle's support of early childhood education should not be doubted.

She has long advocated pre-K education and encouraged preschool programs through the Department of Human Services, which has oversight over childcare programs.

Lingle's objections to SB 2878 are administrative: It creates a council that could disrupt the operations of existing state agencies, including Human Services; and the anticipated long-term costs of Keiki First Steps, estimated at up to $170 million, seem prohibitive.

She offered a compromise: A separate council, established by executive order, that would use existing resources to enhance the work of existing programs.

It's true that the full implementation of Keiki First Steps would be a major enterprise. The goals set by the state's early-learning task force include highly trained teachers and staff reaching 80 percent of Hawai'i's 4-year-olds.

The projected costs are also daunting, particularly at a time when the economy is struggling.

Nonetheless, planning for the future — especially our children's future — should be a priority.

A council established by statute has more permanence that one established by the governor, who will vacate her office in two years.

It should also provide stronger, more focused direction for the many public and private agencies that provide early education in Hawai'i.

Since the 1980s, the state has invested in preschools through efforts like the Preschool Open Doors Project, Hawai'i Pre-Plus Program and Quality Care Program.

But the ultimate ambition of the task force — high-quality preschool education for most children — should not be abandoned.

Certainly it will take three things: money, cooperation among agencies and hard work. Will it be worth it?

A new study published in Science magazine last month suggests the answer is yes.

The study found that kindergartners who went through Oklahoma's universal, public school-based preschool programs demonstrated better reading, writing and math skills than those in the acclaimed Head Start program, even after adjusting for risk factors such as poverty and a weak family structure.

Clearly, we know the benefits of early learning. It's time to put that knowledge to work.