The Montgomery County Council is ratcheting up pressure on school officials to slash benefits for their employees, saying the wealthy Washington suburb can no longer afford to protect any workers from reductions in benefits needed to stem the tide of red ink. Under a council blueprint released Monday, school employees would face similar cutbacks in retirement and health care plans being outlined for general government workers in filling a $300 million shortfall.

The council plan calls for school employees to pay 5 percent more in medical costs regardless of their coverage.