If your server is R8, and your client is R8, I see no reason not to go to an R8 mail template. It will likely solve this problem, as well as usher in a host of benefits!
Otherwise, I will say that I have in the past seen that sometimes a Refresh doesn’t fix template issues. It seems like it doesn’t see the difference, and doesn’t update. My solution was to replace the template to a non-mail template, then replace back to the mail template.