I couldn't reproduce this with a minimal example, but I do have a code branch you can pull down to reproduce this issue.

I was updating the leaderboard example with the suggested enhancements. I tried making the "Sort by Name / Sort by Scores" toggle button adjust its text depending on the current sort strategy. When I added this code:

<input type="button" id="toggle_sort" value='{{sort_val}}' />

I noticed that the value of the button was always "Sorting by Name" and never changed to "Sorting by Score"

I added {{sort_val}} directly to the page, and it updated properly.
I added an html <button> element to the page, and it updated properly.

The attached image showcases the problem.

You can also clone the source and see it for yourself from:
https://github.com/daveroberts/meteor-template-render-issue

Please let me know if you have any questions.